Big Black was started by Steve Albini in 1982 while he was living in Evanston, Illinois, and attending Northwestern University. Contrary to popular belief, Big Black was not Steve’s first band. Prior to forming Big Black, Steve was in a band called Just Ducky, in Montana and a band called Small Irregular Pieces of Aluminum, in Chicago.

Lungs, the first Big Black release, was recorded by Steve in 1982 on a borrowed 4-track. He played everything on the EP himself except the sax bleating courtesy of pal John Bohnen and the drums courtesy of Roland. Lungs, was originally issued on the Chicago label Ruthless Records.

Soon after, Steve recruited Jeff Pezzati (Naked Raygun) to help him out on bass. Santiago Durango, another founding member of Naked Raygun, joined them on guitar. In 1983, together with live drummer Pat Byrne, they recorded the Bulldozer EP. It was initially released in a limited galvanized metal album jacket on Fever Records.

By 1984, the band did some touring and signed a deal with Homestead Records. They recorded one more time with Jeff Pezzati on bass, which resulted in their Homestead debut, the Racer X EP, and the start of the Il Duce 7". After that, Jeff returned full time to Naked Raygun, and he was replaced with Dave Riley.

In 1985, the new trio recorded Big Black’s first full length, Atomizer as well as finishing and releasing the Il Duce 7". 1986 saw the release of Atomizer, as well as the release the Hammer Party album which was a compilation of the Lungs EP and the Bulldozer EP.

Shortly after those releases, freed from their Homestead deal, Big Black signed with Touch and Go and recorded the Headache EP and Heartbeat 7” in the summer of 1986. The first limited pressing of the Headache EP (released in 1987) boasted artwork that would make any of today’s black metal bands foam gleefully at the mouth.

1987 was a very full year for Big Black. The Headache EP and Heartbeat 7” were released. They recorded and released the 7” of "The Model/He’s A Whore," as well as their second full length album, Songs About Fucking. They toured extensively (for Big Black). And they broke up. To quote the album insert in Songs About Fucking: “Hey, breaking up is an idea that has occurred to far too few groups. Sometimes to the wrong ones.”

When they broke up, Santiago Durango decided to go to law school and is now a lawyer. While in law school, he released two EP’s on Touch and Go as Arsenal. Steve Albini went on to form Rapeman, and then Shellac. He also owns and operates Electrical Audio recording studio in Chicago.

Originally issued in 1992 on VHS, Pig Pile is a 12-song live set Big Black recorded at the Hammersmith Clarendon, London, England in the summer of 1987 on their final European tour. Remastered by Steve Albini and Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering and reissued on vinyl with an accompanying MP3 album download.

"This record and its accompanying video footage were recorded at the Hammersmith Clarendon, during Big Black's final tour in the summer of 1987. The members of Big Black have often been asked why we chose to break up (the end of the band having been announced well in advance) just when we were becoming quite popular. The best answer then and now is: To prevent us from overstaying our welcome." - Steve Albini, Pig Pile liner notes

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